The art of massage has long been used to relieve various muscle, tendon and other connective tissue ailments. The kneading of muscles, for example, imparts a modification to the muscle tissue that acts beneficially on the nerves, the muscles being controlled by the nerves in both their movement and nourishment, health of the muscle tissue due to improved blood circulation, and effusion of waste material from the muscle and connective tissues. Accordingly, numerous devices are known in the art for massaging muscles or other tissues.
Tight muscles are a common condition particularly among athletes and other active persons. Tight muscles can be caused by a variety of factors including overuse, in which small micro tears form in the muscles and cause the muscles to tighten. Poor stretching routines, particularly after physical training, may lead to muscle tightness since a muscle may adaptively shorten if it is not regularly stretched to its natural length. Bad posture can also lead to muscle tightness since improper positioning of the head or other body part may increase the work required by the muscles that support the body part.
Accordingly, a new and improved message device is needed which is particularly effective in massaging and relieving pain and discomfort associated with tight muscles as well as other muscle or connective tissue ailments such as trigger points, foot pain, Achilles tendon ailments, plantar fasciitis, calf and heel pain, and carpel tunnel syndrome, lower back pain, hip pain and thigh pain, for example and without limitation. Furthermore, a massage device is needed which has massage zones of various densities to enable a user to control the level and intensity of massage and which can be used as a core workout or strengthening apparatus.